Penmanship and Education
Is the pen mightier than the keyboard and does it matter?
pen·man·ship /ˈpenmənˌSHip/ noun - the art or skill of writing by
hand. "exercises in penmanship" a person's handwriting.
It is no secret that penmanship and the romantic cursive writing style
have been decreasing in popularity for years. Some educators INSIST that
penmanship is vital to a student's ability to thrive. Others say that a
student's time in the classroom should be spent learning updated skill
sets for the "real world" in which keyboarding is more beneficial.
As technology advances, and communication methods change, is there a
clear benefit to learning connected lettering? Is cursive writing a
fossil of a bygone era to be remembered fondly (or with a shudder)
from time to time? Is nostalgia a good enough reason to save it?
Arguments are made to bring cursive back to the mainstream compulsory
testing curriculum. Counter arguments convey that there is no merit in
learning a skill based on outdated traditions, thereby making testing
unnecessary. Conflicting studies abound. Some say that based on the time
and attention spent, neurological pathways are established and
cultivated by learning to write with a connected script. Other studies
show no link what-so-ever between cognitive function or memory based on
the classic cursive style, but will maintain that
writing by hand will improve learning potential via muscle
memory. A majority of these opponents also state that limited classroom
time begs for a fresh approach to what is deemed "necessary" as teachers
often struggle to keep up with new testing requirements. Below are some
articles that are "for" or "against" teaching cursive writing in the
classroom.
I'm for it!
We don't need it!
What do you think about penmanship in education?
This page was built by Meaghan Piper